Panel mount fuse assembly

Abstract

A panel mount fuse assembly that includes a body made of insulative material and having an open end, a closed end, and a sidewall. A body contact made of conductive material is located at the open end of the body. The body contact has a cylindrical portion in which a fuse can be inserted. Located on the cylindrical portion are both helical threads for mating with a cap contact having threads and one of a set of radial extensions and interlocking passages for mating with a cap contact having the other of a set of radial extensions and interlocking passages. The fuse assembly can be used with both threaded caps and caps having either radial extensions or interlocking passages. An end contact made of conductive material is located at the closed end of the body. The end contact can have a terminal shaft portion extending through a peripheral opening in the body and a transverse portion extending to one side of the terminal shaft portion. The transverse portion is used for contacting a fuse, and the shaft is slidably mounted with respect to the body. A spring in the body is used to bias the transverse portion of the end contact away from the closed end of the body toward the open end of the body.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A panel mount fuse assembly for use with either caps having threaded cap contacts or caps having cap contacts with either radial extensions or interlocking passages, said panel mount fuse assembly comprising: a body made of insulative material, said body having a panel mounting structure, said body defining a cavity for receiving a body contact and one end of a fuse therein, said body having an open end, a closed end, and a sidewall extending from said open end to said closed end of said body,   a body contact made of conductive material carried by said body at said open end, said body contact having a cylindrical portion for receiving said fuse therethrough and helical threads and first bayonet locking means for mating with a cap contact with either threads or second bayonet locking means, and   an end contact made of conductive material in said body at said closed end,   whereby said fuse assembly can be used with either caps having threaded cap contacts or caps having cap contacts with second bayonet locking means.   
     
     
       2. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 1 wherein said first bayonet locking means comprises radial extensions, and said second bayonet locking means comprises interlocking passages. 
     
     
       3. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 1 wherein said first bayonet locking means comprises interlocking passages, and said second bayonet locking means comprises radial extensions. 
     
     
       4. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 1 wherein said body contact has a longitudinal extension with a locking structure to secure said body contact in said body. 
     
     
       5. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 1 further comprising a spring in said body for biasing said end contact from said closed end of said body toward said open end of said body. 
     
     
       6. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 1 wherein said body has a peripheral opening disposed on the periphery of said closed end of said body, and said end contact has a terminal portion extending through said peripheral opening. 
     
     
       7. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 6 wherein said end contact has a locking structure of said terminal portion to retain said end contact in said body. 
     
     
       8. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 6 wherein said body has a first middle sidewall opening disposed about the middle of said sidewall of said body, and said body contact has a terminal portion extending through said first middle sidewall opening. 
     
     
       9. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 8 wherein said body has a second middle sidewall opening disposed about the middle of said sidewall of said body, and said body contact has a longitudinal extension extending through said second middle sidewall opening, said extension having a locking structure to secure said body contact in said body, and wherein said terminal portion of said body contact has a locking structure to secure said body contact in said body. 
     
     
       10. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 8 wherein said terminal portion of said body contact has a locking structure to secure said body contact in said body. 
     
     
       11. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 10 wherein said body contact has a longitudinal extension with a locking structure to secure said body contact in said body. 
     
     
       12. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 8 wherein said body contact has a longitudinal extension with a locking structure to secure said body contact in said body. 
     
     
       13. The panel mount fuse assembly of claims 7, 10, 4, 12, 11 or 9 wherein each of said locking structures is a resilient tab. 
     
     
       14. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 1 wherein said panel mounting structure has a flange with openings for mounting said body to a panel. 
     
     
       15. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 1 wherein said body has a body sealing ring to maintain a seal between said body and around a hole in a panel, and a cap sealing ring to maintain a seal between said cap and around said open end of said body. 
     
     
       16. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 1 wherein said end contact is secured in said body with a locking structure. 
     
     
       17. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 16 wherein said locking structure is a resilient tab. 
     
     
       18. A fuse holder comprising a panel mount assembly including   a body made of insulative material, said body having a panel mounting structure, said body defining a cavity for receiving a body contact and one end of a fuse therein, said body having an open end, a closed end, and a sidewall extending from said open end to said closed end of said body,   a body contact made of conductive material carried by said body at said open end, said body contact having a cylindrical portion for receiving said fuse therethrough and helical threads and first bayonet locking means for mating with threads or second bayonet locking means of cap contact, and   an end contact made of conductive material in said body at said closed end,   whereby said panel mount assembly can be used with caps having either threaded cap contacts or cap contacts having second bayonet locking means; and   a cap including   a cap cover made of insulative material and defining a cavity for receiving a cap contact and one end of a fuse therein, and   a cap contact having either a helical threaded connector or bayonet locking means.   
     
     
       19. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 18 wherein said body has a peripheral opening disposed on the periphery of said closed end of said body, and said end contact has a terminal portion extending through said peripheral opening. 
     
     
       20. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 19 wherein said body has a first middle sidewall opening disposed about the middle of said sidewall of said body, and said body contact has a terminal portion extending through said first middle sidewall opening. 
     
     
       21. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 18 further comprising a spring in said body for biasing said end contact from said closed end of said body toward said open end of said body. 
     
     
       22. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 20 wherein said body has a second middle sidewall opening disposed about the middle of said sidewall of said body, and said body contact has a longitudinal extension extending through said second middle sidewall opening, said extension having a locking structure to secure said body contact in said body, and wherein said terminal portion of said body contact has a locking structure to secure said body contact in said body. 
     
     
       23. The fuse holder of claim 18 wherein said end contact is secured in said body with a locking structure. 
     
     
       24. The fuse holder of claim 23 wherein said locking structure is a resilient tab. 
     
     
       25. The fuse holder of claim 18 wherein said panel mounting structure has a flange with openings for mounting said body to a panel. 
     
     
       26. The fuse holder of claim 18 wherein said body has a body sealing ring to maintain a seal between said body and around a hole in a panel, and said cap has a cap sealing ring to maintain a seal between said cap and said body around said open end of said body. 
     
     
       27. The fuse holder of claim 18 further comprising a spring in said body for biasing said end contact away from said closed end of said body toward said open end of said body. 
     
     
       28. The fuse holder of claim 18 wherein said cap contact has a threaded connection. 
     
     
       29. The fuse holder of claim 18 wherein said body contact has radial extensions, and said cap contact has interlocking passages. 
     
     
       30. The fuse holder of claim 18 wherein said body contact has interlocking passages, and said cap contact has radial extensions. 
     
     
       31. A panel mount fuse assembly comprising: a body made of insulative material, said body having a panel mounting structure, said body defining a cavity for receiving a body contact and one end of a fuse therein, said body having an open end, a closed end, a sidewall extending from said open end to said closed end of said body, and a peripheral opening disposed in the periphery of said closed end of said body,   a body contact made of conductive material carried by said body, said body contact having a cylindrical portion for receiving said fuse therethrough and for connecting to a cap contact,   an end contact having a terminal shaft portion extending through said peripheral opening in said body and a transverse portion extending to one side thereof for contacting a fuse, said shaft being slidably mounted with respect to said body, and   a spring in said body for biasing said transverse portion of said end contact away from said closed end of said body toward said open end of said body.   
     
     
       32. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 31 wherein said end contact has a hole in said transverse portion. 
     
     
       33. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 31 wherein said end contact is retained in said body with a locking structure. 
     
     
       34. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 33 wherein said locking structure is a resilient tab that slidably travels in a slot in said sidewall of said body. 
     
     
       35. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 31 wherein said end contact is blade-shaped, and said peripheral opening is rectangular. 
     
     
       36. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 31 wherein said transverse portion of said end contact is tapered and slides along an inside surface of said sidewall. 
     
     
       37. The fuseholder of claim 18 wherein said first bayonet locking means comprises radial extensions, and said second bayonet locking means comprises interlocking passages. 
     
     
       38. The fuseholder of claim 18 wherein said first bayonet locking means comprises interlocking passages, and said second bayonet locking means comprises radial extensions. 
     
     
       39. The panel mount fuse assembly of claim 31 wherein said closed end of said body has an inside surface with a nodule extending toward said open end of said body to stabilize said spring.